New Frontier
by Revanant Dragoon
Summary: Gunsmoke and Mirrors. Destiny forever altered in the flash of a muzzle. "It would seems congratulations are in order: We get to die another day."


**Disclaimer:** The characters are not mine. ...Just the insane things I put them through. Pity them, won't you?

**New Frontier****  
**_Reset_

Life's a strange thing. Each second that ticks by heralds the end of another chance, another opportunity. Someone can get rich or wind up in the poorhouse just because the sucker was in the wrong (or right) place at a certain time. Soul mates can walk right past each other without speaking, or strike up a conversation and fall head over heels for each other.

Life's a capricious thing too. Those missed seconds, those seat-of-the-pants decisions can't be taken back. They can't be collected and redeemed later. They can't be exchanged for another life altogether. If you miss it, it's gone. No exceptions.

Usually.

* * *

The train sped down the tracks, belching clouds of smoke into the air of the dark night. Inside, the passengers reclined in their seats, almost obscenely comfortable.

"Tell me, have you heard the news?" One such passenger, a rather stuffy looking man, asked the other passengers in the train car brightly. His companion, a significantly younger man, rolled his eyes and spoke up.

"Ignore him, please. Kindal, no one wants to know about those—what are they called again?" The last part was an inquiry to the stuffy-looking man, Kindal. Kindal frowned for a moment, looking rather put out.

"A telephone." The younger man nodded.

"Yes, that was what it's called. Really now, it's completely impractical. No use whatsoever. If you need to go talk to someone, you go over and talk. And if they're too far away for that, then you write a bloody letter." The younger man stated, with an all-knowing air to him. Kindal gave a weary sigh, but said nothing. The conversation had the air of an old argument.

The younger man turned and looked over at the target of his companion's query. A young, somber looking boy sat across from them, watching the conversation with a small smile.

"So tell me, where are you headed?" He asked the boy. The boy's dark blue eyes fixated on him for a moment.

"Sadhill." There was a gasp as the fourth and final passenger turned to stare at the boy. She was a well-to-do woman in her early forties, and rather doughty. She was looking at him with horror.

"My boy, you simply cannot be serious." The boy looked at her oddly.

"And why not?" The woman opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by a sputtering Kindal.

" 'Why not'…my boy! That town is the largest den of thieves and cads that I've ever heard of. It's too dangerous for a boy like yourself!" The odd look on the boy's face returned, stronger than ever. Kindal turned to his companion. "Isn't that right, Sora?"

Sora nodded, but kept watching the look on the boy's face. It was almost as if he was fighting a laugh. But at what?

"Surely it can't be that bad? Besides, I heard that it's improved recently." The boy informed them. Kindal snorted.

"Yes, boy. It has, thanks to their new sheriff. But it's only a matter of time. Those vermin delight in killing off sheriffs. Hell, they've gone through fifteen in the past year. Sooner or later they'll kill him off and anarchy will reign again." He leaned closer, as if revealing the secrets of the world. "No sheriff has lived past a month. And this one is coming quite close to that deadline. So it's only a matter of which day, really."

The boy's brows raised in surprise, before the look returned in his eyes. "I see." His eyes drifted to the window and the look on his face turned positively predatory. But it only lasted a moment, and the instant the look registered in Sora's mind, it was gone.

* * *

The hooves of their steeds thundered through the plain. The eight of them rode on as the sun set behind them, and the clouds boiled above them. They were riders on the storm.

No, one of them thought as a smile quirked his lips. They were the storm. They were some of the gang's best men. That's why they had been sent, after all.

They all tensed as their prey came into view, belching steam into the sky. As one, they urged their steeds forward and went in for the kill.

* * *

The woman leaned over to the boy.

"Are you quite certain about this, lad? It really is quite dangerous." The boy smiled reassuringly at her.

"Don't worry about me, ma'am. I can handle myself." The woman frowned, and started to say something else. What exactly, the boy never did find out, as the door behind him slid open. A man stood there, a kerchief covering most of his face and a gun in his hand.

"Alright! This here's a holdup. Keep your hands up and toss all your goods inta' the center, nice and peaceful-like. And no funny business!" Three of the four passengers yelped and started digging through their things and tossing every shiny object they had into the center of the cabin. The young child however, was sitting there calmly with his hands raised in the air.

The man noticed and frowned. The hell was the brat doing?

And why did he seem so familiar?

"Hey, brat. What in tarnation are you doin'?" The boy shrugged, as if the man had simply asked him what the time was.

"Keeping my hands up." The boy responded. The bandit's teeth clenched. The boy was mocking him, he just knew it.

"And why the hell haven't you tossed yer shit in?" The boy's face was the very picture of innocence.

"But how can I if I have to keep my hands up?" It took every ounce of his self-control not to pistol-whip the bastard.

"Toss yer shit in, now."

"Okay, okay. No need to get upset." He lowered one of his hands and started sliding his hand under the rawhide coat he was wearing.

"Oi!" The man barked, turning the barrel of his gun fully on the boy. The brat froze, though his face didn't show any emotion. "Just what the hell do you think you're trying to pull?"

"My valuables out of my pocket." The boy returned dryly. That was it. The bandit lashed out, striking the boy against the jaw. He staggered slightly, as the woman next to him shrieked.

"Any more lip and it'll be a bullet, got it?" He snarled. The boy stared at him for a moment, and the bandit had to fight a shiver. Something was off. Something was very off. Then the brat nodded, and the bandit pushed the memory of that stare out of his mind. He was being ridiculous.

No way in hell was that stare anything like the hardened killers he had met in his life. He was just imagining things.

The boy's hand moved again, before withdrawing it from his coat. The bandit couldn't see what it was as the boy's hand covered it completely. Curiosity overwhelmed him and he kept his eyes on the brat's hand. Just what the hell did the brat have?

Whatever object he had was tossed into the middle of the cabin with a flick of his wrist. The bandit saw a glimpse of gold, and felt his heart start pounding in excitement. His eyes almost bugged out of his head as he tried to track its movement. A moment later it landed with a thump on top of the jewelry and money already scattered on the floor of the cabin. His mouth went dry when he saw what it was that the boy had lobbed.

A sheriff's star.

The bandit froze a second later as cold steel pressed against his skull. He looked up from the star and found himself staring into the dark stormy blue eyes of the boy.

"I haven't introduced myself yet, have I?" The boy—no, he wasn't a boy. The bandit didn't have a clue as to what he was, but he sure as hell knew that the one holding a gun to his head and conversing with him as if talking about the weather was most certainly not a boy. "How rude of me. The name's Ikari Shinji. Sheriff of Sadhill. Now, how about you stick your hands up?" The bo—sheriff smiled genially, contrasting with the cold look in his eyes.

The bandit lifted his shaky arms into the air.

* * *

There were some advantages, Shinji thought, to being so easily underestimated, as he restrained the shivering thug with the length of rope he had secreted in the cabin. He was the ultimate wild card.

Perhaps there was an advantage to being probably the youngest sheriff in history.

A frown crossed his face as he remembered just how he had been drafted into service in Sadhill, the most dangerous damn place in the entire territory. Then he shook his head, trying to clear it. There were more thugs around. It wouldn't do to wool-gather and have one of them catch him off-guard

He slipped his gun back into its holster, hidden within the folds of his coat, retrieved his badge, and stepped into the hall.

There had been no shouts so far, which meant that either there was only one lunatic trying to rob an entire train, or the rest were damn good at what they were doing.

Judging by the fact that he had been tipped off about the robbery, it was safe to assume that it was the second option. Shinji glanced down both aisles before taking a right.

It was time to see how far his advantage would take him.

* * *

Damnit, he was running out of rope.

Shinji palmed the last of the cord as he slipped, quiet as a ghost, into the hallway. He had taken three more down already, and he had no clue how many were left. He didn't know where the hell his errant deputy was either.

He jerked to attention as the door swung open to the hallway. His gun was in his hand and aimed at the newcomer before Shinji was able to recognize the other man as his deputy, Cid.

"Sheriff." Cid acknowledged with a nod of his head. Shinji lowered his gun and nodded back.

"Did you get any of them?" Cid smiled in response, a touch of pride shining through.

"Two of them. You?"

"Four. Haven't got a clue as to how many are left though." Shinji responded as he peered down the hallway. He paused as Cid's hand clasped his shoulder. He looked to his deputy, who gestured back the way they had come.

"I just saw another two back there, sheriff." The young sheriff cocked an eyebrow, a small smile forming on his face.

"Really now? Well, we shouldn't leave them waiting."

* * *

The steady clattering of the train across the rails was infinitely relaxing, in her opinion. It reminded her of a mother's heartbeat.

Not that she actually knew what that sounded like. But she could imagine, couldn't she? And besides, it reminded her of the purple mountain in her dreams that had such a calming effect on her.

A chime rang out in the near-empty car, stirring her from her thoughts. She reached inside the folds of her jacket, withdrawing a pocket-watch.

It was time.

* * *

"Alright ladies 'n gentlemen. This's a holdup. Now, if you could be so kind as to put all your jewelry, money, and gold into the center of the car, please? And no, that wasn't an option, amigo." The three passengers within the cabin stared at the bandit standing at the entrance. All three were frozen in horror at the sight of the masked criminal, only jerking into motion at the sound of the hammer being drawn back.

However, none of them noticed that it wasn't the bandit's gun that had been cocked. Nor did they notice that the armed robber had gone completely stiff.

"Drop your gun, amigo." Came the harsh whisper in the bandit's ear. The steel weapon clattered on the carpeted ground a moment later. "Good, now on your knees." Came the whisper again.

He dropped without a second thought. The bandit glanced over his shoulder, and stared into the glowering eyes of his captor.

"You get him Cid?" A voice entered the bandit's awareness. Cid responded without taking his eyes from the masked criminal.

"Yessir, sheriff. Just about to send'im fer a nap." A hand appeared on Cid's shoulder.

"Wait. We need information." Was it just him, or did that voice sound damn young?

"Sheriff?" Another barrel pressed itself against his head.

"Tie him up, Cid." The younger voice ordered. Well, this was just wonderful. He'd been caught by some self-important nut, who took orders from a brat, as far as he could tell. He tried not to wince as the twine rope wrapped tightly around his hands and feet. "Turn him around."

The man felt himself being bodily jerked from the floor, and spun in the air. He found himself staring up at the ceiling a moment later. A face loomed over him a second later. It belonged to a young boy, no older than fifteen. The bandit figured that this was probably the 'leader.' "Hello, there." The boy greeted him.

Beyond irritated at himself for being caught, and mad at this brat for thinking that he could capture a bandit, the criminal did the only thing he could. He lashed out with his legs at the teenager.

The bandit yelped a moment later as a fist crashed down into his gut. "Cid, the man won't be able to tell us what we need to know if his ribs are broken." Despite the sounds of concern the boy was making, the bandit knew he was laughing. Damn punk.

"Sorry sheriff." Fists seized the bandit's shirt, hauling him into a sitting position. A slender, calloused hand grabbed hold of his whiskers and lifted his chin up. The criminal found himself staring into a pair of storm-blue eyes.

"I apologize for my deputy. He's quite enthusiastic, but diplomacy isn't his strong point. Now, I've got a couple questions, and you're the only one who can give me answers. Answer me honestly and I'll see if I can get your sentence reduced." The bandit glared sullenly.

"And if I don't?" The boy gave him a smile. One that should never be worn by a child.

"Well, Cid does need to practice his diplomacy."

Diplomacy?

…Oh.

"All right, I'll talk." He eventually ground out. "What do you want to know?" The boy's smile was suddenly much warmer. Kinder.

"I'm glad to hear it. How many were in your little group?" The bandit bit back a growl. The punk was acting like they were friends.

"Eight." The boy glanced at Cid, then back to the bandit.

"Really? Only eight? Hmm, all right. Who's in charge of this little outfit?" At this the bandit smiled.

"Ya think I'll tell ya?" He leaned closer, ignoring the muscle that was closing in on him. "Don't think so. I'll tell ya this though: you're in fer a world'a hurt. Once he finds out what you've done, he—" The bandit broke off, staring over the boy's shoulder. "Oh god. NO!"

* * *

Shinji glanced behind him. There was a child standing in the doorway behind him, the brim on his hat pulled down far enough to shield his face, and the large coat draped over him obscured any other recognizable features.

The bandit whimpered behind him.

"All right lad, this is official business." He pulled out his badge and showed it to the child. Not that the child saw it, with the ridiculous hat in the way, but still it was the proper thing to do. "So please move along."

The child lifted his head.

Shinji only had a moment to glimpse a pair of blood-red eyes set in a feminine face before they were replaced with a pair of pistol-barrels.

"Oh shi—" He dove out of the way, dragging Cid with him. The bandit, on the other hand, wasn't so lucky.

The pistols roared as Shinji and Cid smashed into the seats, along with the passenger already in it. Screams erupted all around them. Shinji whirled off the seat, drawing his gun as he moved.

The child was gone.

Shinji tensed, ready to run after him—her?—when his boot stepped on something slick. He glanced down and grimaced.

Blood.

The young sheriff whirled around, looking for the source. He froze when he found it.

The bandit was sprawled on his back, a bullet through both his head and his heart.

Shinji closed his eyes, leaning wearily against the doorframe.

"Sheriff?" The boy opened his eyes and saw Cid peering worriedly at him. He gave a small smile.

"I'm all right. Let's go." With that, he whirled around the doorframe and ran down the hall. Cid shook his head, before running after him.

He caught up with his superior at the door to the next train car. Shinji was braced by the door, his hand wrapped around the handle. His pistol was held loosely in his other hand. Shinji glanced over at his deputy and motioned him forward.

"Through here." Shinji whispered as soon as Cid was close enough, motioning to the door. Cid nodded, and Shinji whipped open the door. The two leapt over the coupling connecting the two cars and through the door into the other car.

Shinji raised his gun and stared at…

"What the hell?"

…nothing.

"Cid, you take the left and I'll take the right." His deputy stared at him. "The cabins." He motioned with his gun. "Make sure she's not in them."

"No offense meant, Sheriff, but how do we know he's on this car? I mean, how do you know she hasn't just gone past to the next car?"

"Because this is the last car on the train." Shinji deadpanned.

"Oh." With that they broke apart and each took a side of the aisle.

* * *

Primary objective has been completed.

Secondary objective is still incomplete. For now.

…What's this?

It would seem that the secondary objective will be completed sooner than expected.

* * *

Their technique was flawless. Their reasoning, sound. Their only mistake was…

There was a thump behind them.

…they forgot to look up.

Shinji glanced behind him. The child was standing behind him, lifting both pistols. He shouted out a warning to Cid and dove to the side. He managed to smash halfway through the door when the pistols started firing. He heard Cid holler at the same time pain streaked across his arm. The young sheriff pulled his way fully through the door, drew his pistol, and glanced back down the hall.

A second later he pulled back as bullets tore into the doorframe. Shinji cursed and glanced over at his deputy. Cid was cradling his right shoulder. Shinji couldn't see what was wrong with it, just that there was a lot of blood. Either way Cid was out of the fight.

The sheriff spun around the doorframe, unloading bullet after bullet at the elusive form of his attacker. The child leapt into one of the carriage cars, one step ahead of the molten lead Shinji launched at him. He ground his teeth together and adjusted his aim, only to hear the hollow click of an empty chamber. Shinji pulled back and crouched behind the doorframe just as the bullets began pounding into the wood.

He whipped open the barrel and started loading the gun. He glanced over at Cid. The deputy had shifted the pistol to his left hand, and was trying to move over towards the door. Then the hail of bullets stopped, and Shinji moved on instinct.

He rose out of the crouch, straightened the arm holding the gun, and swung around the doorframe. There was a split second where he took aim at the segment of the car where the child assassin was hiding.

Then he fired.

He fired a second time.

Then a third.

As the fourth and fifth bullets pounded into the wooden frame of his shelter, Shinji thought he saw movement. He paused, his thumb resting on the hammer.

Nothing. No movement. Did he get him? Was the movement he saw the assassin's last moments? He took a cautious step forward. Still no movement. His thumb drew back the hammer—just in case. He took another step. Nothing. He smiled slightly. His grip on the gun grew loose. He fired his last shot to make sure he was gone, his other hand feeling for more ammunition—

—and dove back towards his shelter as the assassin exploded from behind the doorframe, both barrels blazing. Streaks of pain ran down his jaw and along his ribs as he ducked back down behind the door. His free hand went to his ribs, and came back with blood. The young sheriff then let loose a barrage of his more colorful swearwords. He flicked the gun open, and loaded another six bullets into it. The deadly rain of bullets ceased, and Shinji smiled.

He turned and unloaded five of his six bullets into the increasingly fragmented shield the assassin was using. Then he stopped, his thumb resting on the hammer. 'Now, let's see if he'll…' He waited a full minute, and then pulled the trigger and sent the last slug flying into the framework.

He had to pull back behind the framework of his own shield a second later when the assassin whipped around and started unloading his ammunition into the spot the young officer was at a moment before. Shinji's smile grew wider.

He motioned to Cid with one hand while he loaded the gun with his other. The larger man glanced at him wearily. Shinji noticed that he was losing a lot of blood. His jaw clenched for a moment, before he shoved the thought into the back of his mind. Through a combination of pantomimes, signals, and motions, Shinji managed to convey what Cid had to do. Then the child assassin ran out of bullets.

Shinji whipped around and started firing.

One shot.

His free hand extended towards Cid.

Two shots.

The wounded deputy tossed his weapon across the aisle, and into Shinji's open hand.

Three.

He lifted the larger weapon and aimed it at the red-eyed assassin's shelter.

Four.

The hammers drew back in synchronization.

Five.

Shinji paused for a moment, praying that his impromptu plan would work.

Six.

He dropped his spent weapon and pulled the trigger on Cid's weapon, just as the assassin twisted around and aimed his pistols. The gun roared, and he drew back with a yelp. Shinji tossed the gun to his dominant hand, and pulled back the hammer, stalking forward. His nostrils flared, and his storm-blue eyes seemed to glow with power.

He reached the cabin, and shoved the wrecked door open. His eyes took in the scene before him.

"Damnit!"

The cabin was empty. The curtains moved in tune with the wind blowing in through the open window. Then Shinji jerked as he heard a solid thump above him. He glanced at the ceiling.

"Oh, you've gotta be kidding." He whispered under his breath. He fired blindly up into the ceiling, and was rewarded with a thump further down the train car. The blue-eyed boy cocked the gun again as an idea came to him.

He fired into the ceiling, this time aiming near where the second thump came from. He was rewarded with another thump, and cocked the gun, striding down the corridor. He sent his fourth bullet through the roof, and stopped as he reached Cid. He eased back the hammer, and bent down to the man.

"Hey, Cid, time to go." He shook his deputy's shoulder, trying to rouse him. The man stirred, and stared at Shinji blearily.

"Wuzz goin' on?" He mumbled.

"We've got an opportunity I don't want to miss. Time to leave. Can you stand?" Cid blinked owlishly, then nodded. He started to push up off the floor, only to collapse back onto the floor when his right arm gave out. "Right, shot arm. Stupid." The sheriff of Sadhill hissed under his breath, before reaching down and pulling Cid to his feet.

"Shhheriff, I'ken do it meself." The larger man protested. Shinji nodded patiently, even as he cocked the gun for a fifth time.

"I know, I know." He said consolingly. "I'm just…giving you a jump-start."

"Oh." Cid mumbled, nodding sagely. " Whuzzat?" Shinji frowned, lifted the gun, and fired into the ceiling.

"You know, I have absolutely no idea." A thump drifted from the ceiling. Shinji was pretty sure he heard a gun cock, too, but he wasn't sure. "All right, Cid. Time to move."

They had made it to the door when the assassin started firing. Bullets tore through the ceiling, starting from the far end and working their way up. Shinji grabbed the handle of the door and shoved it open.

'Move, move, move, MOVE!'

He and Cid leapt across the gap to the next car. Shinji turned and fired the gun one more time, unlocking the connector between the two cars. He opened the door to the other car and tossed Cid in.

The sound of a door slamming open came from behind, and Shinji spun to see the child striding into the last car. He absently noticed that both the hat and coat had been lost during the assassin's escape to the roof. However, that wasn't what captured his attention.

The child wasn't quite a child. He wasn't a 'he' either. Shinji found himself staring at a young looking girl with vivid red eyes and…blue hair. She actually wasn't that much younger than Shinji himself, now that he thought about it. A foreign feeling swept through him, prickling the back of his mind. It was like deja vu, he would decide later, only much stronger.

However, at that time, all he could think of was that this girl was Trouble. Although that could be explained by the fact that she was raising both pistols towards his head.

Acting on instinct, he brought his gun up and leveled it at the girl's head, moments before she could aim her own. She froze like a deer in the headlights. The blue-eyed sheriff's eyes narrowed, as he drew back the hammer. A grim smile spread across his face, and he pulled the trigger.

Click.

Both sheriff and assassin stared at the empty weapon held in the sheriff's hand. Then Shinji looked up as the sound of twin hammers cocking reached his ears. The blue-eyed boy started stepping backwards even before his eyes confirmed what was happening: the blue-haired girl was aiming at him with both pistols. Then she paused, finally noticing something very strange.

The distance between herself and the sheriff was increasing rapidly.

She frowned and looked at the connector between the two cars. Her eyes widened, then she glared back at him, and Shinji could have sworn her eyes glowed. He took another step back and slammed the door shut. Then for good measure, he dove on the floor alongside Cid.

A moment later, he was quite glad of his decision as several bullets tore through the door at chest-level. Shinji waited for a few minutes, before he got up on his feet and opened the door. He smiled as he saw that the other car had dwindled into the distance. He walked over to Cid, who was staring at him with groggy eyes.

"It would seem congratulations are in order, Cid. We get to die another day."

* * *

Cid chewed on the tobacco, a troubled frown on his face. His feet were up on his desk, and his eyes fixed on the pensive form of the sheriff. He tried to adjust the sling holding up his right arm, only to hiss as his wound convinced him to leave it alone.

"Didn't I jus' get through tellin' ya not to move?" The gruff voice of Doc Reinhart cracked like a whip through the office, and Cid had to fight the temptation to flinch like a little child. Though, he would argue, the man had been treating him since he was a little child, so it was understandable. Pride properly soothed, he turned his attention to the doctor.

Reinhart was arguing with the sheriff about treating his injuries. Or rather, the doctor was yelling at Shinji while he stared out the window. At least he was before Cid had cried out. After glaring at the deputy for a moment, he turned his attention back to the sheriff, who still sat there, silent.

"At least let me _clean_ the damn wounds." He growled at the young man. Shinji waved him off distractingly.

"I'll take care of it, don't worry." Reinhart rolled his eyes, and crossed his arms. Cid, knowing what was coming, sank lower in his seat in empathy. Yes, it was empathy, not fear that Cid was feeling. Really. The fact that Reinhart had done the same thing whenever he started chewing out Cid when he was younger had nothing to do with it at all.

Nevertheless, he was stunned when the doctor didn't let loose a blistering dressing-down on the sheriff, but instead seemed to slump where he stood.

"Look, Ikari, I know--" Cid never learned just what the doctor knew, or why he halted his verbal onslaught, as Shinji cut him off.

"I said I'll take care of it, Doc." Reinhart looked at him for a moment. Cid cringed. That had to garner a response out of the man. Reinhart was never one to take backtalk lightly. Hell, he himself had tried it once, when he turned sixteen and felt like he could take on the world. The doc had given him one long look, and proceeded to verbally tear him to shreds.

However, it would seem that Cid's experiences weren't as all-encompassing as he thought. Reinhart stepped away, shaking his head.

"Can't forget, can ya? Not that I blame ya." Cid heard the older man mutter. Feeling like he wasn't supposed to hear that, Cid bit down on the impulse to ask him just what he meant. It was a lot harder than he expected.

Guess his ma was right when she said he was too curious for his own good. Then Reinhart fixed his gaze on Cid, and the deputy forgot all his musings.

"All right. Lesse what damage you just did to the bandages." He grumbled, motioning for Cid to stand. He did so reluctantly, and the doctor went to work, grumbling to himself all the while. "Honestly. I swear I knew the two of ya had gone and found yourselves in a heap o' trouble _again_ the instant I heard somebody poundin' on my door."

"And what do I find? The two of ya went an' shot up a damn _train_ and managed to get shot up in turn..." He shook his head and tightened one of the bandages, making Cid cringe. "Alright, that should do it. Now can I trust that the two of ya'll keep out of trouble for the rest of the night?" Cid nodded quickly. After a few moments Shinji waved at the doctor to show that he understood, not looking away from the window. The doctor sighed quietly, gathered up his things, and walked out the door.

Cid stretched lightly, and let his mind wander. Which, inevitably, began to ponder the man he was proud to call sheriff. The deputy never really understood that small hesitation that all the other villagers had when dealing with Ikari. It probably had something to do with the first day the sheriff had arrived.

Cid himself had been ill that day, and therefore had not met the sheriff when he had arrived. But from what little those who had would tell him, the sheriff didn't exactly make a good impression. But how, he wasn't exactly sure. Nobody would tell him.

But all Cid needed to know was that Sheriff Ikari was a strong man, willing to stand up for the law and what it represented. He was the end of Cid's nightmare.

The deputy loved the town of Sadhill dearly. He had grown up there, had seen it begin to blossom into a bustling trade-post, just like it deserved to be.

Then, _that_ night came, and everything changed. The sheriff was murdered, and Cid's world turned upside down. New sheriffs were sent in, each more weak and foolish than the last, as Sadhill slowly went to the dogs. Hell, he had become the deputy in the vain hope that he could counteract the downward trend his town was spiraling into. Unfortunately, he was less than successful.

That all changed, however, when the young boy sitting across the room arrived. Now the town was slowly coming back on the map, and prosperity was hesitantly inching in.

Quite simply, even though the sheriff was a good four years younger than him, he was Cid's hero.

Which made looking at Shinji nearly painful now. The boy was sitting with his feet up on the desk, his hands in his lap, fingers running over the rough fabric of that old hat he carried with him everywhere, eyes fixed on the dark window. He was brooding.

He never did that.

"Cid?" The deputy blinked. Shinji had finally turned away from the dark window, and was looking at the older man.

Cid had never seen the sheriff seem so...lost. He realized with a jerk that he was no longer looking at Sheriff Shinji of Sadhill. He was looking at Shinji, a young boy trapped in a man's world.

"Yes, sheriff?" Shinji opened his mouth, only to close it again. He sighed, then dropped his feet from the desk. His eyes drifted down to examine the grain of the wood.

"I know her, Cid." The deputy paused. Her? Who was he talking about? "The assassin."

"You do?" How on earth would the sheriff know someone like her?

"Yes. And I don't know how, either." What? That made no sense. How could he know someone but not how he knew her? It was only when Shinji responded that Cid realized he had spoken aloud.

"It's not that simple, Cid. It's..." He shook his head, stood up, and walked over to the window. "Have you ever had that feeling, Cid? Where you see something, and something _moves_ in the back of your mind? Where you feel like you've seen it before, if only in a dream?"

Cid shook his head mutely. A silence fell upon the men, stifling the small office. Then Shinji moved away from the window with an explosive sigh.

The door was thrown open.

"Sheriff! We've got a problem!" Cid looked at the newcomer, and his brows rose as he saw young Elwood standing at the threshold, panting and holding a stitch in his side. "Somebody's starting a ruckus in the bar. You gotta come quick!"

Cid was about to volunteer to go, when Shinji strode past him. He got a glimpse of the stern face of the sheriff he knew so well before he walked out the door, ushering Elwood with him. The deputy sat back, trying to comprehend the change he witnessed...before a smile grew on his face.

He stood up, and walked through the office, turning off the lights and closing up for the night. As he locked the door and walked out into the street, he glanced down at the light burning in one window at the inn.

"He's going to need you tonight." Cid whispered to the light. "Take care of him, please."

* * *

"Reinhart is going to _kill_ me." Shinji muttered as he walked out of the jail, fingers exploring the bruise forming there. He had followed Elwood to the saloon, and found a drunk trader making a ruckus and harrassing the waitress. Shinji tried to make him listen to reason, but the man refused, before physically making a pass at the waitress. That was when Shinji had stepped in, getting the bruise in the process.

But considering what he had done to the other man, he had gotten off light.

But, unfortunately those wounds made a call to the Doc a necessity. Shinji was just glad that Elwood was still there, so that _he_ could run and wake up the doc for the second time that night, rather than Shinji.

When dealing with a just-woken Doc Reinhart, caution was the better side of valor.

Of course, Shinji would prefer not dealing with the doctor at all, but he often didn't have a choice. His face darkened as remembered _that_ night, before pulling his thoughts away from that road. That was over and done with. The past was the past.

He smiled as he spotted the candle in a window of the inn. He picked up the pace, walking up to the inn and in through the door. His eyes passed over the slightly-gaudy furniture, having seen it many times before, looking for the important details. A book was out on the desk, the title "Shane" staring out into the room. Shinji's focus flipped from that to the lit lantern hanging on the doorknob of the door that led to the landlord's quarters.

He walked up to the door, and lifted the lantern from the doorknob. He put it out and set it on the desk, before opening the oak door. Inside the room, he managed to make out the lithe figure working by candlelight. Shinji closed the door as quietly as he could, pausing for a brief second as her eyes moved over to him, before dropping his own to the floor.

He never understood how those eyes, who should never look at him with more than disinterest and bitterness, could look so _hungry_. The whispering sound of silk being dragged along skin reached his ears as she stood up, and walked over to him. He looked over at her, and his breath caught in his throat.

Now, on the other hand, he could perfectly understand how he could feel hungry looking at _her_. Pale skin gleamed and peeked past the short silk garment wrapped around her. Her burgundy eyes burned in the dim light.

"Umeko..." He whispered her name. The tiniest of frowns passed her features before being swallowed up by the ravenous desire that seemed to dominate her presence.

"Long day?" Her voice was intoxicating. It made him feel...wanted. Later, after the blood had stopped rushing elsewhere from his brain, a part of him would always wonder just what it was about her voice that would drive him mad every time. But right now his mind was more occupied on how best to get Umeko over to the bed as quickly as possible.

"Yeah." Her smile grew impish.

"Want me to make you feel better?" The silk garment slowly slid off her shoulders, before dropping to the floor. Shinji didn't even bother replying.

His kiss said enough.

* * *

Something shifted in the darkness. A shadow-covered rock deep in a labryinthine mine twisted, defying physics. It stretched, like clay being played with by a child.

Something pushed in the darkness. The rock bulged out, growing more and more large.

Something gave in the darkness. There was the sound of something tearing, a wet splat, and then a deep, rattling noise. Then another. And another.

Breathing.

Black, dead eyes opened, taking in its surroundings.

Tentacles _writhed_.

So this was at the center of it all. How...strange. Oh well, it would be destroyed, either way.

A foreign feeling came over the being. It was...excitement? Yes, excitement.

This would be...'fun.'

* * *

There were some things in Sadhill that everyone saw as constants, unchanging landmarks that spoke comfortably of familiarity and trust. The sun, rising in the east. The well in the center of the town.

Silas sitting on the porch of the saloon, spitting chewing tobacco at anyone who came too close. No one really knew where he came from, before he had arrived there on the porch one morning, sixteen years ago. Not that it was for a lack of trying, either. He just wouldn't talk to anybody, and soon took to spitting at anyone who came too close.

The villagers soon stopped trying, and just let him sit there. Thus, no one noticed how his eyes, which had simply stared ahead of him, tracked the young sheriff since he arrived. No one noticed that he didn't spit at Shinji when the boy stepped too close.

And no one noticed when he started muttering. Though, to be fair, hearing the words 'he comes' whispered over and over again wouldn't have made sense to anyone until it was too late. And since no one knew what his eye color was, no one would have found it strange that his eyes were sky-blue.

* * *

Shinji jerked upright, his breath coming in pants and drenched in sweat. He looked around, taking in the sight of Umeko's room, sunlight gently streaming in through the windows. He let out a deep breath, and let himself flop back onto the bed.

_'Another nightmare.'_

He looked over at the still-sleeping form of the landlady, and smiled slightly. She knew he was plagued with nightmares, knew that they made his sleep restless and disturbed. But she never asked and he never told. It simply wasn't what their relationship was about.

He shook his head, and slowly climbed out of bed. They were just nightmares. They couldn't harm him. Therefore he wouldn't worry about them. Mind made up, he gathered up his clothes, slipped them on, and walked out of the inn.

However, his mind focused on the day ahead, he didn't notice the burgundy eyes following him longingly.

* * *

_A deep, whooshing sound reached his ears. His feet faltered as he strode up the purple mountain, as he glanced around him uncertainly. It sounded like the breath of some monstrous creature. A chill ran down his spine. He whirled, and saw... _

_Red eyes._

"Sheriff!" Shinji jerked to attention behind the desk, then winced and swore, rubbing his knee. That damn desk was hard. He looked to see who was calling, and saw Mrs. Dadrow standing in the doorway, looking torn between laughing and concerned. Cid, he saw out of the corner of his eye, had no such compassion. He'd get his soon enough, though.

"Yes, Mrs. Dadrow?" She blinked, looking at him blankly for a second, before starting.

"Oh, yes! There's something I think you need to see, Sheriff." Shinji frowned. Mrs. Dadrow was the mother of four brats, and was never a fan of beating around the bush. So why the hell didn't she just come out and say what was on her mind?

"What is it?" She looked at him for a moment, before shaking her head.

"It's best if you just see it, Sheriff. I'm not sure if I can describe it properly." Worry started to fester in Shinji's gut. Nothing good was going to come from this. He stood up, placing his hat on his head, before snatching his coat and striding over to the door.

"Lead on." He motioned to the matron, who nodded and proceeded out the door. He paused for a moment, and looked over at Cid, who was grabbing his own things. "Stay here. We need someone here in case something winds up going down." Cid looked like he bitterly wanted to protest, but nodded anyway and sat back down.

Shinji walked out the door, following Mrs. Dadrow and eyeing everything suspiciously. Everything being the unnaturally empty street. Not a single child danced and played in the dirt streets. There were no old men sitting perched in their rocking chairs on the wooden porches. What the hell was going on? It hadn't been this empty in Sadhill since he first came here.

"Ah... Mrs. Dadrow? Where is everybody?" The woman glanced at him.

"The train station." Why the blazes would everyone be there?

"Why?"

"You'll see." Shinji, irritation briefly overtaking worry, came to a full stop.

"Mrs. Dadrow, I need to know what's going on." He let some of his aggravation leak into his voice. The matron turned to look at him, and her eyes widened at how close the sheriff's hand was to his pistol.

"Oh dear me, I'm sorry sheriff. I just... it's something you'd have to see to understand. But there's no danger, if that's what you're worried about." Shinji felt a blush spread across his face.

"Oh, I see." Mollified, he looked to the ground for a moment before gathering himself and looking back up at the woman. "Lead on, then." Mrs. Dadrow smiled at him, and proceeded to walk to the train station. Shinji's first thought when the two reached there was that Mrs. Dadrow was right. The entire town was gathered there.

Hell, Shinji didn't think that the town had enough people to make up the whole crowd.

The place, he found, was utter bedlam. People were moving around, shifting and jostling, each trying to see. If he tried to squeeze in there, he'd likely get trampled. _'Well, then. If there isn't a path, __**make**__ one.'_ He took a deep breath, and whislted as loud as he could.

He didn't manage to beat out the drone of the crowd, but it worked for those nearest him. They turned, almost as one. Shinji felt some relief at that, as he didn't expect even them to hear him. This made things much easier.

That feeling of relief promptly evaporated as the small group broke out into identical grins.

_'Uh oh.'_

The next thing he knew, he was being pushed and guided through the crowd, all the while wondering what the hell was going on, and... why that voice that was growing louder with every step he took was so damn familiar, when he knew he'd never heard it before. Then the crowd surged and split, leaving the young sheriff to tumble out into the clearing at the center of the crowd.

He caught sight of a tall, blonde, unfamiliar woman standing in the middle of the ring, talking to several of the townspeople.

"--am a doctor. No, I'm not joking. Now would you please tell me where the sheriff is?" The first thought that ran through his mind was wondering how the hell a woman became a doctor. He didn't have time for a second thought, as his mouth was acting before his brain could comprehend what he was doing.

"I'm right here." She turned around, and for the second time in as many days, that odd feeling of deja vu swept through the blue-eyed boy. And since he wasn't in a life-or-death scenario, he could actually take the time to try to understand just what it was.

It was... it was like he _knew_ her, but had forgotten her name. No, it was more than that. Her face was as familiar to him as any of the townspeople. But there was this _itching_ sensation in the back of his mind, like a splinter driving him mad.

He _knew_ her, but he didn't at the same time. Because he was damn sure he'd never met her before in his _life_.

"Shinji?" He heard a voice called out. Once again, his mouth moved without permission.

"Doctor Akagi?" He froze. Who the hell was Doctor Akagi? He didn't know anybody named Akagi. He absentmindedly noticed the look of triumph that flashed across... Akagi's- was that her name? How the blazes did he know that?- face as she looked back to the townspeople.

"See? I told you. Shinji and I go _waaay_ back." She slung a friendly arm around his shoulders.

"What's your name again?" He heard a familiar voice -one he actually recognized- call out. Umeko was standing at the forefront of the crowd, a strange look on her face.

"Doctor Ritsuko Akagi, used to be lil' Shinji's doctor." The strange blonde woman replied, giving Shinji's shoulder's a squeeze. Shinji felt like screaming.

What the hell was going on?

-End _Reset_-


End file.
